Grilled Shrimp and Veggie Flatbreads with Chimichurri and Creamy Cucumber Mint Sauce
Hello friends! I hope this summer day is finding you well. It has been unusually rainy in Colorado this year… which makes for a wonderfully green landscape… and lots of mushrooms. So. Many. Yard mushrooms. I think I’ve spent every morning this week digging poisonous mushrooms out of my yard. As every Coloradan says, “we needed the moisture,” but I’m ready for hot, sunny days and summer food.
I’ve had this recipe for Shrimp and Veggie Flatbreads on my “to-do” list for a while and I am so excited to share it with you! There are a few steps involved but each one is super easy and quick so no need to feel daunted by this dish.
For this fresh and flavorful meal-in-one, I marinate shrimp and colorful summer veggies, skewer them, and throw them on the grill. No grill? No problem! You can easily make these on a stovetop grill pan or even in the oven for a weeknight sheet pan meal! In addition to buttery shrimp and seasonal vegetables, I make a super easy chimichurri sauce and a yoghurt mint sauce. The chimichurri is so savory and has a touch of heat that melds wonderfully with the refreshing yoghurt sauce.
I start by making the sauces so that I can let them chill in the refrigerator for a bit while I do everything else.
For the chimichurri, I use both fresh parsley and cilantro, along with roasted garlic cloves and chilies. I love to use a combination of Fresno and Serrano chiles in this, but you can easily adapt to different palates. If you prefer less spice, mini sweet peppers will work great in this chimichurri.
The cucumber mint yoghurt sauce is a simple addition that adds such a refreshing compliment to this highly seasoned dish. It’s also super simple to make. I mix plain yoghurt and diced cucumber with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a touch of fresh mint. So easy to throw together and so yummy!
For the shrimp and veggies, I make a flavorful marinade using pantry staples like avocado or olive oil, fresh garlic, lemon, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and a ton of dried herbs and spices.
While the marinade does its thing, I soak the skewers and get the grill ready to go.
When everything is ready; you can build the shrimp, veggies, and sauces onto store-bought naan flatbreads, add some crumbled feta; and you have an easy and healthier weeknight meal that you can easily prep ahead of time!
This dish screams summer and grilling out. And you can prep everything ahead of time, making it equally great for a relaxing weekend or a busy weeknight.
Eat well and enjoy!
Ingredient Details - The Sauces
The Chimichurri:
- Avocado Oil and Lemon Juice – I like to use avocado or extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. However, any non-flavored oil would work. Also, don’t skip the lemon juice! I prefer fresh because it has slightly more brightness than bottled. But if you have bottled, go ahead and use it! It won’t change the flavor profile enough to notice.
- Red Wine Vinegar – This vinegar adds a sweet and earthy depth to this sauce. If you can’t find red wine vinegar, you could try balsamic, sherry vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. It will change the flavor profile but would still work well.
- Parsley and Cilantro – There are different variations of chimichurri but for this recipe, I love using both parsley and cilantro. It adds a bright freshness without either being too overpowering.
- Chiles** – This is an ingredient you can experiment with! I love using Fresno and Serrano chiles but feel free to sub those with any pepper of your choice. Jalapenos and Habaneros would be great if you want to amp up the spice. You could also use mini sweet peppers if you’re wanting something mild or kid friendly.
- Oregano and Thyme – Try to use fresh herbs if you can. They add a better flavor and texture for this recipe.
- Salt and Pepper – The salt and pepper measurements aren’t a hard and fast rule for this recipe. Taste the chimichurri along the way and add these ingredients according to your preferences!
- Roasted Garlic – Don’t skip this step! This adds a roasty, subtly sweet, garlicky goodness to this sauce. It’s a game changer. See steps within the recipe instructions on how to perfectly roast a bulb of garlic.
The Cucumber Mint Yoghurt:
- Yoghurt – Make sure you use unflavored and unsweetened yoghurt for this. Any type of plain yoghurt will do, but I prefer whole milk or a thicker yoghurt so that the sauce isn’t too thin.
- Cucumber – I like to use an English cucumber for this because they tend to be sweeter and more tender. But any cucumber will do! You can dice the cucumber or cut it in quarters and thinly slice it.
- Mint – Try and use fresh mint for this recipe as it adds a nice subtle flavor. I like to cut the mint up into very thin, small strips or dice it.
- Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice adds a wonderful brightness to this recipe! However, if you only have bottled, that will work great too.
- Salt and Pepper – Definitely season this to taste. The salt content can change depending on the strength of the yoghurt flavor and lemon juice.
- Water – If your sauce is too thick, you can add cold water, one small splash at a time, until you get your desired consistency.
Ingredient Details - The Marinade
- Avocado Oil – I like using avocado oil because it’s a healthy fat that works well for high heat and doesn’t leave an extra flavor behind. If you prefer using a different oil, just make sure it is suitable for grilling. Canola and peanut oil would also work well.
- Red Wine Vinegar – I like red wine vinegar for this recipe because it adds a subtle tanginess. Other vinegars would work, but they will change the flavor profile. Champagne vinegar is milder but would work well.
- Lemon Juice and Worcestershire Sauce – Don’t skip these! They add great complexity to this dish. The lemon juice adds brightness and the Worsteshire adds a slightly smoky and savory umami flavor.
- Mustard – Stoneground or another milder mustard works best for this recipe. Yellow mustard tends to be more overpowering and could take over the flavor profile too much.
- Paprika, Basil, Oregano, Marjoram, Garlic, Salt, and Pepper – These pantry-staple ingredients add so much goodness to this recipe! I used dried herbs for this because they’re easier, more budget-friendly than fresh, just as flavorful, and you may already have them on hand!
Ingredient Details - The Flatbread Filling
- Shrimp – You can use frozen or fresh shrimp for this recipe – Just make sure it is raw! If using frozen, just follow package directions to thaw before placing the shrimp in the marinade. To make this meal extra easy, try and find shrimp that has already been peeled and deveined. These should be easy to find at your local grocery store or seafood counter.
- Squash – I like to use a mix of zucchini and yellow squash. They have a slightly different texture and make for such a colorful dish. However, if you can’t find both, either/or would work great! Also, most squash of similar textures would work in this recipe!
- Tomatoes – I prefer cherry tomatoes to grape because they are slightly bigger, making them easier to skewer. They also tend to hold up better on the grill. Campari tomatoes would also work great!
- Flatbread – I love using the small naan rounds for this recipe – You should be able to find these in most grocery stores! They are big enough to fit all the ingredients but small enough for an individual taco-like handheld flatbread. If you can’t find small naan bread, you can use larger sizes and cut them in half. You can also use any flatbread of your choice!
- Cheese – These flatbreads are so yummy topped with crumbled cheese. I love using feta or gorgonzola, but feel free to use whatever sounds good to you!
This Summertime recipe is so good! It’s an easy meal-in-one that is full of flavor and fresh ingredients.
- 1 whole garlic bulb
- Olive or avocado oil for drizzling
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive or avocado oil (plus a splash if the mixture is too dry)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, very finely minced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, very finely minced
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano, very finely minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme, very finely minced
- 2 to 3 small chiles, minced (**See Ingredient Details for details)
- 1/2 to 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 4 cloves roasted garlic, smashed and minced
- 3/4 cup plain, whole milk yoghurt (you can use low-fat but the consistency many be thinner)
- 1/2 large cucumber, diced
- 1 tbsp fresh mint, sliced into thin strips or diced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- Splash or cold water (if mixture is too thick)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup avocado oil (or any cooking oil that is suitable for grilling)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp stone ground mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 1 lb medium to large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 to 4 zucchini and/or yellow squash, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rings
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes
- Salt for seasoning the vegetables
- Black pepper for seasoning the vegetables
- 6 to 8 miniature naan flatbreads (or other flatbread of your choice)
- Feta cheese for topping (or cheese of your choice)
- Skewers for grilling (If using wooden skewers, soak in warm water for 30 minutes before using)
The sauces are best served cold so I like to start by making these so that I can let them sit in the refrigerator while I make the rest of the recipe. These sauces can also be made ahead of time and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use!
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Start by making a small bowl out of aluminum foil, leaving enough at the top to loosely cover your garlic bulb. Set aside. Using a sharp knife, slice off the very top of the garlic bulb so that the top of each clove is exposed (about ¼ to ½ inch from the top of the cloves).
Peel off any loose papery garlic skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Place the bulb in the aluminum foil bowl. Drizzle the bulb with a good amount of extra virgin olive oil, making sure all surfaces of the bulb are covered with the oil. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper. Loosely cover the bulb with the aluminum foil.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cloves are lightly browned and feel soft when pressed.
Let the garlic bulb cool until you can comfortably handle it without burning yourself. Using a very small knife, a cocktail fork, or your fingers; pull or squeeze each clove out of its skin.
Alternately, you can also add the garlic bulb, wrapped in foil, to your grill. Let cook on the grill until the cloves are lightly browned and feel soft when pressed. You’ll have more roasted garlic cloves than you need. The extra cloves can be placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for future use. They are great as a spread on toast for sandwiches!Add the oil, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar to a bowl and whisk well until emulsified (when emulsified, the mixture will be well combined and look very slightly thickened and cloudy). Add the remaining ingredients and whisk or mix gently until well combined. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Add all ingredients except for the water to a bowl and mix until well combined. If the mixture is too thick; add cold water, one small splash at a time, until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
When the sauces are done, you can start marinating your shrimp and soaking your skewers (if using wooden skewers). See instructions below under the Shrimp section.- Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a medium non-metal bowl until well combined. Add the shrimp and mix gently, making sure it is completely covered. Cover the bowl and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. At this time, place your wooden skewers in warm water and let sit for 30 minutes while the shrimp is marinating. If you are using metal skewers, you can skip this step.
This recipe can be done on an outdoor grill, indoor stovetop grill pan, or on a sheet pan in the oven (*See Note below for oven instructions). For an outdoor grill, heat to about medium. For an indoor stovetop grill pan, lightly grease with oil and heat over medium to medium-high heat.
After the skewers are done soaking and the shrimp is done marinating, you can start building your skewers. For this, I like to keep each ingredient on its own skewer because of different cooking times.
Place the shrimp on skewers, leaving a couple inches at each end. Reserve the marinade for brushing.
Place the squash on skewers (skewer end to end on the outside of the squash ring so that the squash lays flat), leaving a couple inches at each end. Sprinkle each side with a few dashes of salt and pepper.
Place the cherry tomatoes on skewers, leaving a couple inches at each end.
Place the skewers on the grill and brush both sides with the reserved marinade.
Cook the shrimp, turning once, just until it is pink and slightly curled up (about 5 to 7 minutes).
Cook the squash, turning once, until it is slightly charred and tender (about 4 to 6 minutes).
Cook the tomatoes, turning once or twice, just until they begin to slightly char and burst open (about 4 to 6 minutes).
Remove the skewers to a plate. Set aside.
Place a few shrimp, squash rounds, and tomatoes on each piece of flatbread. Top with the chimichurri, cucumber mint yoghurt sauce, and a sprinkling of cheese. Serve immediately.
As another serving option, you can place everything out on a table or counter and have a make-your-own family style flatbread bar!
*Oven Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and lightly grease with oil. Brush both sides of the squash with the reserved shrimp marinade and place in a single layer on the baking sheet, leaving room to add the shrimp and cherry tomatoes later. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and flip the squash over. Add the tomatoes and shrimp to the baking sheet in a single layer. Brush with the reserved marinade. Return to the oven and cook for another 10 to 12 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked through (pink and slightly curled up), the squash is tender, and the tomatoes have just burst open. Remove from the pan and serve as you would the grilled version.